Adventures with the Winglets

By Carolyn Neuman

A mid school-year move has left adventurous young Chrissy bored and alone. When she discovers the door to another world through a tree in her own backyard, she seizes the opportunity to explore. She immediately makes a new friend, and is welcomed by the Winglet people. Her new friend introduces Chrissy to carving, and she finds she has amazing talent. But she soon learns that her visits have brought danger to the Winglet village.

There is someone who can help, but she is mysterious and elusive. The Winglets have magical gifts, but not enough to defend against the evil that has returned. As the story unfolds, Chrissy finds that she has become the key link between the mysterious friend Lisa and the Winglet people. Together they must uncover the truth if they are to defeat evil forces and restore peace for the Winglets.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466967540

Carolyn Neuman

Inspired by her fourth grade teacher, Carolyn Neuman began her writing career by submitting poetry to a Maryland Young Authors’ Contest. Energized by her award, her writing soared to a new level. Just two years later, Adventures With the Winglets is her first published novel, full of imagination and creativity.

Book preview

Adventures

With the Winglets

SKU-000595109_TEXT.pdf

By

Carolyn Neuman

Order this book online at www.trafford.com

or email [e-mail]

Most Trafford titles are also available at major online book retailers.

© Copyright 2012 Carolyn Neuman.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

isbn: 978-1-4669-6753-3 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4669-6754-0 (e)

Trafford rev. 11/08/2012

7-Copyright-Trafford_Logo.ai

www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

phone: [phone].png fax: [phone]

Contents

Part 1

Passing Through Trees

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Part 2

Dreams Tell the Future

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Part 3

Beneath the Surface

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

To Grandma Neuman-

for urging me to write about the old tree by the snowball stand from which the magic came

Part 1

Passing Through Trees

Tree%20picture%20BW%203x3%20300%20dpi.jpg

Chapter 1

I’m never speaking to you again! Chrissy cried as she flung herself up the steps. She found her new bedroom and flopped on the bed.

Chrissy’s parents had been talking about moving for weeks, but she never expected them to actually do it, especially right before winter break. Chrissy had been making up reasons with everything she could think of about why they shouldn’t move. Russ and Alex, Chrissy’s older brothers, had been doing the same, but they had finally caved in to the might of The Parents.

So they had moved from Jackson, Mississippi to Out-In-The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Colorado. It was ruining her winter break. Just thinking about it again made her angry. Chrissy was still fuming as she began unpacking.

* * *

Over the next few days, the family brought in box after box after box filled with clothes, pictures, games, dishes, everything. On the fourth night, everyone lay on the grass in their huge backyard. Everyone, that is, except Chrissy, who was sitting in the hollow at the base of the only tree in the backyard. The old, twisted tree was the perfect size for her.

She was watching a worm wriggling through the pile of dirt that she had overturned on the ground. Chrissy? her mom called.

As Chrissy lifted her head to glance up at her mom, something in the grass caught her eye. It was a white rock, glinting in the light of the full moon. She picked it up and brushed the dirt off. It fit perfectly in her hand, and had a warm, tingly feeling. Suddenly, a cold breeze whistled through her hollow. Chrissy stood up, put the rock in her pocket, and marched to the back door.

* * *

The next morning, the cold wind continued, bringing with it a beautiful blanket of snow. Grumbling about needing a map to get to breakfast, Chrissy poured herself some Cheerios, plopped into a chair, and flicked on the small T.V. on the counter.

A loud THWAK! on the wall brought Chrissy to attention. She jumped up, ran to the window above the sink, and pushed back the pale green curtains. Russ and Alex had been shoveling snow from the driveway. They had been having a contest about who could throw their snow the highest, when Russ’s shovelful hit the house. Then they had scrambled under the window where Chrissy wouldn’t see them. When they jumped up and started yelling, Chrissy squealed and jumped, but her fright soon evaporated as fury took reign.

Chrissy scrambled to the hall closet, pulled on her coat, shoved her feet into pair of snow boots, and stomped outside. Neither Russ, nor Alex was out front; their shovels lay discarded on the side of the driveway. Chrissy stepped behind the house. That was her mistake.

The moment they saw her, Russ and Alex pummeled Chrissy with snowballs. She screamed and jumped back around the corner of the house. Oh you are on! she muttered to herself.

Chrissy made as many snowballs as she could hold, and then carefully stepped around the corner. She started throwing them, running and ducking her brothers’ snowballs.

Suddenly, one of Chrissy’s snowballs hit Alex smack in the chest. He fell to his knees, panting. Russ ran over to him. He’s not hurt, it’s just a trick! Chrissy called to Russ. Right Alex? she sounded unsure now.

Chrissy walked over to Alex and bent over him. Chrissy? Alex whispered. If I go, would you do something for me?

Chrissy looked wary of him. What? As he lay on his back, Alex fingered the snowball in his hand.

Stay still.

As Chrissy was pondering this, Alex sat up and crushed the snowball over Chrissy’s head. Jumping up, he darted around the house. Chrissy ran after Alex, yelling all the way, leaving Russ doubled over with laughter.

* * *

By the time their mom called them in for lunch, Chrissy had yelled herself hoarse, and they all were numb and panting. Before Chrissy’s ears were even thawed, they were finished lunch, and Russ, Alex, and their dad were out shoveling the neighborhood sidewalks.

With no friends to play with, and her mom sewing by the fire, Chrissy ambled upstairs to her room. As she looked around for something to do, her eyes landed on the rock she had left on her bedside table the night before. Then she got an idea.

Chrissy hurried to the basement where her dad was starting a workbench. She found a piece of wire and a cord of long, thin, leather. She sat on the floor and wrapped the wire around the rock. Then she tied the ends of the wire around the middle of the leather, which she tied around her neck.

Excited, Chrissy ran to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was tall, freckly, and had blazing red hair that curled right under her chin. The white rock matched perfectly, she decided.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Chrissy put her snow stuff back on and trudged outside with a book. She went behind the house (making sure that Russ and Alex weren’t there) and sat in the hollow of her tree. Between the gnarled branches were piles of loose snow, and Chrissy was sure not to move around too much for fear of it all landing on her head.

She liked to run the edge of her rock along the crevices in the bark, pretending that it was the key to a door in the tree. Her thoughts played along with the book she was reading, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Without noticing it, Chrissy found a notch in the tree where the rock fit in perfectly. She pushed it in. Suddenly the ground beneath her gave way and she crashed against the trunk of the tree. Chrissy caught her breath for a second, before the snow cascaded onto her head from the branches above.

Chrissy jumped up, brushing off the snow from her hair and face. As she bent down to pick up her book, she noticed a hole in the base of the tree. She wanted to inspect it, but right then her mom called her in for dinner. Grudgingly, she trudged back into the house.

The next morning, the sun was out, melting the snow into puddles. Chrissy spent most of the morning reading, watching T.V., and helping her parents. That wasn’t exactly how she had wanted the morning to go, but after all, what can you do with half a snowfall and everything wet?

* * *

That afternoon, however, became warm and much drier, so Chrissy trooped outside with her book to the old tree. When she